Class Exercise: Composition and Concept

One of my favorite childhood books, this cover makes strong use of hierarchy – the illustration is placed above the title, taking a large portion of the page, and the bold and cursive text complements the illustration. In addition, the black and white, as well as the simplistic illustration, make it a perfect cover for a children’s poetry book.

Most magazines are packed with illustrations, text, captions, and titles, as if the author was told to put as much text on the cover as possible. This is why I think TIME magazine usually has the best covers – they’re simplistic, elegant, powerful, and meaningful. One of the best examples for this is the popular and controversial cover published in April 1966. The cover features a black background, with large, bold text in the center, flushed left, in bright red. This draws attention to the title, and the topic, leaving no room for distracting images or other text. Talk about hierarchy.

Music covers are unique in that they have to portray a complete musical and creative work, while confined to a small simple square. For this reason, the album cover for Lupe Fiasco’s “Lasers”, is unique in that in manages to create a good compromise between simple text and elegant illustration. The viewer is automatically attracted to the sign, which serves as the title of the album. One thing of note, is that the artists name is written in fairly small letters above the title, so as to bring attention to the actual work, not the artist. Lastly, the bright “A”, creates a unique and memorable effect.

Among the most recognizable film company logos of all time, is that of MGM. Unique and distinct from other film company logos, it features a more traditional design, with bright gold banners on a simple black background, which bring attention to the logo itself, refraining from too much distraction. At the center of the logo, is the famous MGM lion.

Video game covers are often packed with elaborate and complicated illustration. The Halo 5 cover features a unique symmetry and balance, where the opposing characters and forces are places in a sort of grid, creating balance. In addition, the title is placed in the middle, creating a sort of hierarchy, and a relationship between the illustration and the text.

While video advertisements have more leeway to send a powerful message in more creative manners, physical advertisements on paper are a lot harder to create. However, many anti-smoking ads manage to send powerful messages, despite the limitations of print. The ad featured here, for example, manages to send a clear and powerful message, although it doesn’t have complex illustrations, too many colors, or any text. In addition, the dark gun creates a clear contrast with the lighter colored hand, creating a clear hierarchy.

Creating the interface for Windows 10 was an extremely difficult challenge. One of the biggest challenges in creating an OS interface is that it has to excel in both appearance and performance. And Windows 10 does just that. To begin with, Windows 10 makes intelligent use of grids – the start menu has two primary columns, one with rectangular tiles, and another with more colorful, square tiles. The placing and size of the tiles creates unique hierarchy. Overall, different elements, like grid and hierarchy, combine to create a very elegant UI.